None.
Not Applicable.
The present invention relates to a label construction and, more particularly, to a shipping label construction of the type which is useful in sending a container in succession to an outgoing address location and to a return address location. The present invention further relates to a method of using such a label construction to re-label a container after it reaches a first location and before it is sent to a second location.
Several prior art label arrangements have been used to repeatedly re-label containers, such as reusable containers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,858, issued May 13, 1997, to Petrou discloses a label arrangement in which a placard having a release coating on one side is adhesively secured to a container. The placard is transparent. A succession of pressure sensitive adhesive backed labels can be affixed to the placard surface, in dependence upon the changing contents of the container. While facilitating re-labeling a container, the arrangement of the ""858 patent is somewhat inconvenient in that labels that are not in use on a container must be stored separately for subsequent use.
One prior art label arrangement used for sending a container to a succession of locations includes a pair of thermally printable labels, backed with a pressure sensitive adhesive coating, and mounted on a strip of release material. A first, longer label, having a portion bearing a silicone coating, is printed with a return address. A second, shorter label is printed with an outgoing address. The first label is adhesively applied to the container, and then the second label is adhesively applied over the silicone coated area of the first label, obscuring the return address. A small part of the release material is die cut and carried with the second label as it is applied to the first label. This release material part is manually engaged when the second label is to be removed from the first label. While this prior art label arrangement has the advantage that the two labels are kept together on the container, nevertheless it does not provide for additional labels that may be useful for receipts, manifest labels, and the like. It is seen, therefore, that there is a need for a labeling system providing greater flexibility.
This need is met by the present invention by two-way shipping label construction and by a method of using the two-way shipping label construction to send a container to two address locations in succession. The container may be shipped to an outgoing address location and then sent back to a return address location. It will be appreciated, however, that using the label construction of the present invention the container may be sent from a first location to a second location and then on to a third location. As used herein, a xe2x80x9ctwo-wayxe2x80x9d shipping label construction means a label construction that can be used to send a container to at least two address locations in succession. Further, as used herein, an xe2x80x9coutgoing addressxe2x80x9d means the address of the first of the two locations, and a xe2x80x9creturn addressxe2x80x9d means the address of the second of the two locations. It will be appreciated, however, that in some instances the second of the two locations may be the location from which the container was originally sent. In such an instance, the container is being returned to its original location.
The two-way shipping label construction according to the present invention includes a strip of release material, a first printable label, and a second printable label. The first printable label has a first surface with a release coating on a portion thereof, and a second surface with a first pressure sensitive adhesive coating. The first label is adhered to the strip of release material by the first pressure sensitive adhesive coating. The second printable label has a first surface, and a second surface with a second pressure sensitive adhesive coating. The second printable label is adhered to the strip of release material adjacent the first printable label by the second pressure sensitive adhesive coating. The first printable label may have at least one customer receipt label defined by a die cut having one or more ties. Additionally, or alternatively, the second printable label may have at least one manifest label defined by a die cut having one or more ties.
The second printable label may include at least two manifest labels which are defined by a die cut having one or more ties. The strip of release material may include a die cut circumscribing the manifest label or labels, whereby a portion of the release material is carried with the second printable label when the second printable label is removed from the strip of release material.
The strip of release material may include a die cut circumscribing the at least one customer receipt label. A portion of the release material is carried with the first printable label when the first printable label is removed from the strip of release material.
Preferably, the length and width of the second printable label are less than the length and width of the portion of the first surface of the first printable label having the release coating, respectively. The second printable label may be releasably secured to the portion of the first surface of the first printable label having the release coating. The first surface of the first printable label may carry indicia to assist in positioning of the second printable label on the first surface. In some instances, the release coating may cover substantially all of the first surface of the first label.
The first surface of the first printable label may include an area for printing a return address. The area may be covered with the release coating such that the return address is obscured from view when the second printable label is secured to the first surface of the first printable label. The first printable label may be a thermally printable label, facilitating printing on the portion of the label having a release coating. The first surface of the second printable label may include an area for printing an outgoing address.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the first pressure sensitive adhesive coating comprises a permanent pressure sensitive adhesive coating, and the second pressure sensitive adhesive coating comprises a repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive coating. The strip of release material may comprise a first strip of coated material, and a second strip of uncoated material. The first printable label is adhered to the first strip of coated material and the second printable label is adhered to the second strip of uncoated material. Alternatively, the strip of release material can be a single strip of coated material.
A method of using a shipping label construction for sending a container in succession to an outgoing address location and to a return address location utilizes the shipping label construction described above. The method includes the steps of: printing a return address on the first surface of the first printable label; printing an outgoing address on the first surface of the second printable label; removing the first printable label from the strip of release material and securing the first printable label to the container with the first pressure sensitive adhesive; removing the second printable label from the strip of release material and securing the second printable label to the first printable label with the second pressure sensitive adhesive; shipping the container to the outgoing address location; removing the second printable label from the first printable label; separating the manifest label from the second printable label, and applying the manifest label to a manifest record sheet; and shipping the container to the return address location. The printing steps may include printing manifest information on the at least one manifest label, and additionally or alternatively, printing the at least one customer receipt label defined therein.
The step of securing the second printable label to the first printable label may include the step of securing the second printable label to the first printable label so as to obscure the return address. The step of removing the second printable label from the first printable label may include the step of removing the second printable label so as to reveal the return address.
The strip of release material may include a die cut circumscribing the at least one manifest label. The step of removing the second printable label from the strip of release material and applying the second printable label to the first printable label may include the step of carrying a portion of the release material with the second printable label when the second printable label is removed from the strip of release material.
The first printable label may include at least one customer receipt label defined by a die cut having one or more ties. The strip of release material may include a die cut circumscribing the at least one customer receipt label. The step of removing the first printable label from the strip of release material and applying the first printable label to the container may include the step of carrying a portion of the release material with the first printable label when the first printable label is removed from the strip of release material.
The steps of printing a return address on the first surface of the first printable label, and printing an outgoing address on the first surface of the second printable label and manifest information on the at least one manifest label are preferably accomplished in the course of the same printing operation. The step of printing a return address on the first surface of the first printable label may comprise the step of thermally printing a return address on the first surface of the first printable label. The step of printing an outgoing address on the first surface of the second printable label and manifest information on the at least one manifest label may comprise the step of thermally printing an outgoing address on the first surface of the second printable label and manifest information on the at least one manifest label.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved two-way shipping label construction and method of using such a two-way shipping label construction in which a first return address shipping label is mounted on a container and a second outgoing address shipping label is secured by pressure sensitive adhesive to a release coated portion of the first label; to provide such a construction and method in which additional label components, including a customer receipt and a manifest label, are part of the first and second shipping labels, respectively; and to provide such a construction and method in which the labels are printed at substantially the same time.